Method of binding books



(No Model.)

H.L. ARNOLD. METHOD OF BINDING BOOKS.

No. 449,751. PatentedApr. 7,1891.

' llih %\\|l lllii?-ml l I 0 ITwe/nibr UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE L. ARNOLD, OF BROOKLYN, NET/V YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-HALF TRENTON, NElV JERSEY.

TO FERDINAND \V. ROEBLING, OF

METHOD OF BINDING BOOKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 449,751, dated April 7,1891- Application filed May 11, 1887. $eria1No. 1 (N0 11105613 To allwhom zit may concern.-

Be it known that I, HORACE L. ARNOLD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Books and Methods ofBook Binding, fully described and represented in the followingspecification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to improvements in the art of binding books andpamphlets, and particularly to amethod by which the several leavescomposing a book or pamphlet are secured to each other preparatory toits receiving its cover.

The fastening together of the leaves forming a book or pamphlet hasheretofore been accomplished in a variety of ways. In the case of themore expensive books the folios composing the signatures have beensecured to each other and to the binding by various processes of sewing.In some cases the folios composing the signatures have been secured toeach other and to a backing by wire staples, the backing being thensecured to the cover. These methods are, however, comparativelyexpensive and are not available where cheap binding is required.Comparatively thin books and pamphlets have also had their leavessecured together by means of wire staples or by stitches which passedthrough the entire thickness of the book near its back; but this methodis not available for thick books, and is to some extent objectionable,even in thin books, because it prevents the book from being opened outfiat. Comparatively thick books and pamphlets have also had their leavessecured together preparatory to receiving the cover by removing thefolded edges of the signatures at the back of the book so as to form apack of single leaves, and then forming in the back edges of the pack ofleaves a series of transverse cuts or channels, into which wereintroduced cords, which extended across the back of the volume. \Vhenthe back of the volume was in this condition, a coating ofproperly-prepared glue was applied to it, which, becoming set, securedthe edges of the leaves to each other and also secured the cords in thecuts, and thus made a strong binding. This method, however, involvedconsiderable labor and consequent-expense, because of the time consumedin removing the folded edges of the signatures and in placing the cordsin the cuts at the back of the volume by hand, which were comparativelyslow operations.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a method which willsecure substantially the same result as that last described, but whichcan be carried out to a greater extent by machinery, and will thereforebe much more economical and better adapted to be employed in theproduction of cheap bindings.

As a full understanding of the method and book constituting the presentinvention can only be given by an illustration and a detaileddescription of the manner in which the method may be put into practice,all further preliminary description will be omitted and a detaileddescription given, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure l is an end elevation of anumber of signatures forming avolume assembled and ready to be operated upon for binding. Fig. 2 is asimilar view showing the signatures atter the first step in the methodhas been per formed. Fig. 3 is a side view, and Fig. 4 a plan view, ofthe signatures after the second step has been performed. Figs. 5 and 6are views similar to Fig. 4, but upon an enlarged scale, illustratingthe subsequent operations and Fig. 7 is a side view of Fig. 6.

Referring to said figures, it is to be understood that A represents anumber of signatures assembled to form a volume and clamped together inproper position between the jaws B of an ordinary clamp, the foldededges 1) of the signatures at the back of the volume projecting slightlyabove the jaws of the clamp, as shown in Fig. l. \Vhen the signaturesforming the volume have been thus clamped, their folded edges 1) are.removed in any suitable manner. This may be done by cutting theedges 1) away, but they will preferably be removed by tearing, so as toleave the edges at the back of the volume in a so mewhat rough andragged condition, as indicated in Fig. 2. The back edges of theassembled leaves (6 are then provided with a number of transverse cuts0, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7. These cuts will preferably be inclined, asshown, and may be made by any suitable form of tool, either by hand orby machinery. One way in which they can readily be made is by a gang ofchisels suitably arranged to descend upon the back of the volume.Although it is preferable that the cuts 0 should be inclined, as shown,it is not absolutely necessary that they should be so. They may be madestraight or they may be made by removing small portions of material--as,for example, by sawing. \Vhen the volume is in this condition, there isapplied to the back, which contains the cuts c,a coatingd of prep erlytempered glue or cement, which contains in a thoroughly distributedcondition a quantity of fiber f, as shown in Fig. 5, which maybe of anysuitable kind, either hair or hemp or pieces of stringer any othersuitable material. As the glue (Z is applied to the back of the volumeor after it has been applied it is brushed in the direction of thelength of the volume, and if the cuts 0 are inclined, as in the caseshown, the brushing willbe against the cuts, as from right to left. Thebrush used for this purpose may be of an ysuitable form, preferably afine wire brush, or a brush made of stiff bristles, and in practice thebrush will preferably be arranged to run in a vat containing a mixtureof glue and fiber, so that the glue will be applied and the brushingeffected simultaneously as the volume is passed over the brush. 'lheeitect of this brushing will be to carry the fibers along the back of'the volume and into the cuts 0, as indicated in Figs. (3 and 7, wherethey will lodge, and by the brushing action be caused to take a positioncrosswise of the volume, and thus form in eltect cords or binders,which, when the glue is set, will hold the leaves together very firmly.hen the glue has been applied and brushed in this manner, all thatremains to be done to cornplete the volume is to apply the cover, whichwill be done in the usual manner. If the voltime is to be provided witha paper cover, the cover will be applied directly to the glue (Z beforethe latter has become set. This method although applicable to allclassesof books is especially adapted to the production of those classes ofbooksand pamphlets which are provided with paper covers. The method maybe practiced by hand, but is capable of being readily carried out bymachinery, and when it is to be practiced 011 a large scale it it willbe carried out in this manner. By this method a sufiiciently strong anddurable binding is provided to meet the requirements of a very largeclass of t:ratle,v'liile the labor and attendant expense involved inplacing the cords in the cuts by hand is entirely avoided, thusmaterially reducing the cost of the binding and forming an improvementof very great importance when the vast numbers in which books areproduced at the present time is taken into account.

In some cases and particularly when the folded edges of the signaturesare removed in such a way as to leave the edges of theleaves quite roughand uneven, it may not be nec- ,essary to provide the cuts 0, as thefibers will lodge against the rough edges of the leaves, and thus formbinders to aid the glue in bolding the leaves together.

\Vhile I have described the loose fibers as mixed with the glue and themixture thus produced applied to the book, and this is the preferredmethod of applying the glue and loose iibers, it will be understood thatmy invention is not to be limited to any special method of applying theglue and fibers, but covers, broadly, the method of securing togetherthe leaves of books or pamphlets, which consists in applying to theedges of the leaves a coating of glue or cement and loose fibrousmaterial or fibers, and the book produced by such method, whatever bethe method of applying the glue and fibers.

lVhat- I claim is- 1. The herein-described method of securing togetherthe leaves of books and pamphlets, which consists in applying to theedges of the leaves a coating of glue or cement and loose fibrousmaterial or fibers, substantially as described.

2. The hereiirdescribed method of securing together the leaves of booksand pamphlets, which consists in applying to the edges of the leaves acoating of glue or cement containing loose fibrous material or fibers,substantially as described.

3. The herein-deseribed method of securing together the leaves of booksand pamphlets, which consists in applying to the edges of the leaves acoatingof glue or cement containing loose fibrous material or fibers insuch a manner that the fibers extend transversely of the leaves,substantially as described.

The herein-described method of securing together the leaves of books andpamphlets, which consists in applying to the edges of the leaves acoating of glue or cement containing loose fibrous material or fibersand brushing said glue or cement longitudinally of the volume,substantially as described.

5. The herein-described method of securing together the leaves of booksand pamphlets, which consists in applying to the edges of the leaves bybrushing them lengthwise ot' the volume a coating of glue or cementcontaining loose fibrous material or fibers, substantially as described.

G. The herein-described method of securing together the leaves of booksand pamphlets, which consists in providing the edges of the leaves withtransverse cuts or channels, applying thereto a glue or cementcontaining loose fibrous material or fibers, and brushing IIO said glueor cement lengthwise of the volume to cause the fibers to lodge in thecuts, substantially as described.

7. The herein-described method of securing together the leaves of booksand pamphlets, which consists in providing the edges of the leaves withinclined transverse cuts or channels, applying thereto a glue 01' cementcontaining loose fibrous material or fibers, and brushing said glue orcement lengthwise of the volume and against the cuts to cause the fibersto lodge in the cuts, substantially as described.

8. The herein-described method of securing together the leaves of boaksand pamphlets, which consists in providing the edges of the leaves withtransverse cuts or channels and filling said cuts or channels with glueor cement and loose fibrous material or fibers, substantially asdescribed.

9. The herein-described method of securing together the leaves of booksand pamphlets, which consists in providing the edges of the leaves withtransverse cuts or channels and filling said cuts or channels with aglue or cement containing loose fibrous material or fibers in such amanner that the fibers extend longitudinally of the cuts, substantiallyas described.

10. A book or pamphlet the leaves of which are secured together by glueor cement, and loose fibrous material orfibers applied to their edges,substantially as described.

11. A book or pamphlet the leaves of which are secured together by glueor cement, and

loose fibrous material or fibers applied to their edges in such a mannerthat the fibers extend transversely of the leaves, substantially asdescribed.

12. A book or pamphlet the leaves of which are provided on their edgeswith transverse cuts or channels and secured together by glue or cement,and loose fibrous material or fibers filling said cuts, substantially asdescribed.

13. A book or pamphlet the leaves of which are provided on their edgeswith transverse cuts or channels and secured togetherby glue or cement,and loose fibrous material or fibers filling said cuts, the loose fibersextending longitudinally of the cuts, substantially as described.

14. Abook or pamphlet the leaves of which are provided ontheir edgeswith inclined transverse cuts or channels and secured together by glueor cement, and loose fibrous material or fibers filling said cuts, theloose fibers extending longitudinally of the cuts, substantially asdescribed.

15. A book or pamphlet having its leaves secured together, and a coversecured thereon by glue or cement, and loose fibrous material or fibersapplied to the edges of the leaves, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HORACE L. ARNOLD. Witnesses:

GEORGE H. BoTTs, '1. H. PALMER.

